Horndean’s New Community Building: what will it provide?
A new community building, one of the biggest in the area, is planned for Horndean as part of the 700-home development on Land East of Horndean. It’s just one of a range of improvements to be delivered on this site.
The building will include a purpose-designed hall for people to watch films, shows and theatrical productions, as well as enjoy art exhibitions, dance classes and a host of other community activities. It will have retractable theatre-style seating, a stage, lighting rig, a cinema screen and projector, but with multi-use flexibility for fairs and functions of all sorts.
There isn’t anything in the area that offers this kind of thing and our research shows there is a real demand for it. We have the opportunity to create something very special for the area but we have to make sure we get the design right – that means lots of consultation.
East Hampshire District Council, together with Horndean Parish Council asked local people, at a consultation event in January, what the building should be used for and local school children were canvassed in May.
Top of the list of things local people want to see was recent films, followed by live feeds from West End shows and live performances from professional theatre companies, public lectures and local theatre groups made up the top five.
Schoolchildren at Horndean Technology College and Horndean Junior School also put a cinema at the top of their list, with dances and music performances figuring highly along with private hire for family events.
You can see the popularity of typical functions in the table below and more information and the survey is at www.easthants.gov.uk/leoh.
It’s a big project that will take some years to complete and as we progress there will be plenty of chances to be involved in consultations. If you or your organisation would like to register a possible future interest, please contact either Horndean Parish Council at contact@horndeanpc-hants.gov.uk or Cllr David Evans at david.evans@easthants.gov.uk
Cllr David Evans.
